Door-supporting mechanism



Aug. 12, 1924.

, F. E. MHLLIkER noon SUPPORTlNG MECHANISM Filed April 1'7, 1923 F. ,E.MILLER DObR UPPORTUG MECHANISM Filed April "17..

1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Aug. 12, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK E. MILLER, or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR To ranssnn swam.

CAR COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

DOOR-SUPPORTING MECHANISM.

Application filed April 17, 1923. Serial No. 632,632.

5 State of Pennsylvania, have invented cer tain new and usefulImprovements in Door- Supporting Mechanism, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to means. for supporting the discharge doors of arailway car or the like and has for an object, the provision of aplurality of movable members which will cooperate with a discharge'doorto hold it in closed or partly closed positions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a railway car or the likewith a plurality of door supporting means so associat- 'ed with eachother that they are movable simultaneously out of door supportingpositions and movable relative to each other to door supportingpositions.

'A further object of the invention is to pro dump car embodying theinvention; Fig. 2

is a side elevational view of the same, Fig. 3 is a like view showingthe operation of the invention when the discharge door is being movedtoward closed position; Fig. 1 is a sectional view taken on the line4:4: of

Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the door supporting members takenon the line 55 of Fig. 2; Figs. 6 and 7 are views like Figs. 2 and 3,illustrating a modification of the invention.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the reference character 1indicates the car body which may be of any suitable construction andwhich for illustrative purposes comprises a floor 2, discharge doors 3and side walls 4, all of which may be of any preferred construction. 7

Each of the discharge doors 3 is preferably provided with members 5 theouter ends of which preferably extend outwardly to a point beyond theoutside plane of the side wall and each is adapted to be engaged by doorsupporting members 6 and 7 which are pivotally mounted on a bolt 8mounted in a bracket 9 secured to the side wall 4-. The members 6 and 7are provided with ledges 10 and 11 respectively, which are adapted toengage the lower surfaces of the members 5 to; support the door. Theseledges 10 and 11 are arranged in different horizontal planes, the ledge10 being in a plane below that of the ledge 11 so that as the door isbeing closed the member 6 will move relatively to the member 7 to such aposition that the ledge 10 will be adapted to support the door in partlyclosed position. When the door is in closed position the member 7 willmove relative to the member 6 to such a position that the ledge 11 willengage the underside of the member 5 and will thus support the door inclosed position. The front edge portion of each of the members 6 isprovided with a laterally extending lug 12 which is adapted to engagethe front edge portion 13 of the member 7 when the discharge door is inclosed position and when the members 6 and 7 are being moved in thedirection as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2 to open the door. Thislug is so arranged that it will engage the member 7 when the member 6 ismoved toward door releasing position and will thus insure at all timesthe simultaneous movement of both of the members in this direction andwill permit relative movement between these members in the oppositedirection.

The lower portions of the members 6 and 7 are provided with slopingsurfaces 14 with which the member 5 on the door will engage when thedoor is being closed and which when in such engagement will cause themembers 6 and 7 to move out of the path of I the members 5 to permit thedoor to be moved to closed or partly closed position.

Assuming the discharge door 3 to be in closed position and it is desiredto open it, the operator strikes the front edge of memher 6 or lug 12 ablow with a sledge or other tool which causes the members 6 and 7 tomove simultaneously in the direction as indicated by the arrows in Fig.2 out of door supporting positions at which time the door will move toits open position and the members 6 and 7 will return by gravlty totheir: door supporting positions.

When it is desired to close the doors, the operator by the use. ofa baror other sultable device, raises the door and as this 1s "done and themember 5 secured to the door comes into engagement with the slopingsurfaces 14 of the members 6"and 7 these members will be caused to movesimultaneously out of the path of the member 5 until such time as thelower surface ofthis member is raised to a position above the supportingledge 10 of the member 6 at which time the. member 6 will movevindependently of the member-7 in a direction toward the member 5 asuflicient distance so that the ledge 10 will be under the member 5. Ifthe operator desires he may now permit the member 5 to rest on the ledge10 to support the door in partly closed position. When the member 6 issupporting the door in partly closed position it will be noted from Fig.2

of the drawings that the member 7 is held out ofxits door supportingposition by its engagement with the side of the member 5. To finallyclose the door. the operator continues to raise the..door until it is inits closed position at which time the member ,7. will move to such aposition that the ledge 11 will engage the underside of the member ,5and when in this position will support the door'in closed position. Theoperator now moves the cam members 15 into engagement with the members Gand 7 thus locking these members against accidental movement.

In Figs. 5 and 6 a modification of the invention has been illustrated inwhich the door supporting member 6 is pivotally con 40 nected with thedoor supporting member 7 at a point remote from the point where the.

member "is pivotally connected with the car. The operation of thesemembers 6 and 7 are substantially the same as the members a 6 and 7hereinbefore described in connection with the preferred form of theinvention.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the 7 art to which thisinvention appertains that changes may be made in the details and ar-'rangement of parts forming the invention tions.

to engage the front edge of the other of said members to eifect thesimultaneous movement of both of said members out of their doorsupporting positions.

3. In a dump car, a discharge door, a pivotally mounted member forsupporting said door in closed position, a pivotally mounted member forsupporting said door in partly closed position, and a lug on the lastmentioned member adapted to engage the front edge of the first mentionedmember whereby both of said members are caused to move simultaneouslyout of their door supporting positions.

4:. In a dump car, a discharge door, a. member for supportin said doorin closed position, a member pivotally mounted on the first mentionedmember for supporting saidv door in partly closed position, both of saidmembers being adapted to be in their door supporting positions when thedoor is open or closed, means whereby both of said members aresimultaneously movable out of their door supporting positions as thedoor is being operated and means whereby one of said members ispermitted to move into door supporting position in advance of the otherof said members to support said door in partly closed position.

5. In a dump car, a discharge door, a member pivotally mounted on saidcar having a ledge adapted to support said door in closed position, amember pivotally mounted on the first mentioned member having a ledgeformed thereon adapted to support said door in partly closed position,and means whereby one of said ledges is held out of its door supportingposition when the other of said ledges is in its door supportingposition.

6. In a dump car, a. discharge door, a member connected with said doorand projecting beyond the free edge thereof, a plurality of membershaving ledges arranged in different horizontal planes adapted to engagethe projecting portion of said member to. successively support said doorin partly closed and closed position, one of said memhere beingpivotally mounted on another of said members.

7. In a dump car, a discharge door, a projection on said door, a memberadapted to support said door in partly closed position, a member adaptedto support saiddoor inclosed position, both of said'members beingnormally in the path of said projection, means at the front edge of bothmembers whereby said members are movable simultaneously andautomatically out of the path said members adapted to engage the other'of said members to insure the simultaneous movement of both of saidmembers toward their door releasing positions.

9. In a dump car, a discharge door, 'a plurality of members forsupporting said door, one of said members being mounted on said car andadapted to support said door in partly closed position and the otherbeing mounted on the first mentioned member adapted to support the doorin closed position, and means whereby the last mentioned member is heldout of its door supporting position until said door is closed.

10. I11 a dump car, a discharge door, a member pivotally mounted on saidcar, for supporting said door in closed position, and

a member pivotally mounted on the first mentioned member for supportingsaid door in partly closed position.

11. In a dump car, a discharge door, a member pivotally mounted on saidcar for supporting said door in closed position, and a member pivotallymounted on the first mentioned member for supporting said door in partlyclosed position, the pivotpoint of. the last mentioned member beingspaced away from the pivot point of the first mentioned member.

12. In a dump car, a discharge door, a member mounted on said car forsupporting said door in closed position, a member mounted on the firstmentioned member for supporting said door in partly closed position, andmeans whereby said members are simultaneously movable out of doorsupporting positions.

13. In a dump car, "a discharge door, and a plurality of members forsupporting said door in different positions, one of said members beingpivotally mounted on said car and another of said members beingpivotally mounted on the first mentioned member.

14. In a dump, car, a discharge door, and a plurality of members forsupporting said door in different positions, and means on one of saidmembers adapted to engage the front edge of another of said memberswhereby said members are simultaneously movable out of their doorsupporting positions.

In testimony whereof I affix my signa ture in the presence of twowitnesses.

FRANK E. MILLER.

Witnesses CoLMAN ZAITZ, KATHLEEN KLEBER.

